Recent content by mrandig

Now back to the present day... Well, that's it. Looks like I'm all out of excuses. There is nothing left to do but put the radiator back in and connect some hoses. And add some fluids - can't forget that.

August 2025 Updates (2) Here's the refurbished upper radiator brackets installed. While I was in the area, I decided to clean up the inner shields as well. Maybe this will make me go faster, or even maybe I'll have some extra power lol. I doubt it, but I do like clean parts. Newly...

August 2025 Updates (1) Radiator Supports - refurbish and install Driver's side radiator support. These nuts can be removed with a 9/16" wrench. The new radiator mounts differently; instead of studs, we'll need to get some bolts. Passenger side radiator support. Once the support is...

July 2025 Updates (2): I'm not sure if my attempt at pre-forming the hoses made any difference, but here's everything completed and re-installed. At worst, it wasn't necessary; at best, there's fewer kinks needed to make everything fit together. No, I'm not really worried that the heat...

July 2025 Updates (1): After failing on my initial attempt to pre-form these hoses, I took a few days off, then tried to form the new hose using heat and a piece of #4 wire. That's probably going to be too hot. Don't melt the soap bottle by leaving it sitting behind the part. It going to...

June 2025 Updates (3) There comes a point where you should just sit back and enjoy all that you've accomplished. Beyond that point you're no longer fixing anything, you're just tampering with what should've been the finished result. If you compare the old hose and the new, it's pretty obvious...

June 2025 Updates (2) Since everything else was getting replaced, I figure it wouldn't hurt to also change out the low-pressure hydraulic hoses. I'd already changed out the high-pressure hoses, so let's do a thorough job. Needless to say, between the steering gear, hydro boost, cadillac valve...

June 2025 Updates (1) With the shroud repair complete, it's time to check out the new radiator. This is a 3 row all aluminum radiator from Champion. I actually purchased this back in March; it just took me this long to get around to it. The new all aluminum radiator is shiny. It's also...

I'm sure everyone has been waiting patiently for updates😁. I was making lots of progress, then summer came along... I did get a few things accomplished; I just never got around to posting. Just to get current, I'll follow this post with what's been happening over the last few months (with the...

Fan shroud plastic repair (2) Just to wrap up this repair, after plastic welding the fan shroud was looking pretty rough. I had used a DA sander on the surface, and this left the plastic looking very dull. I'm going to try some mirror glaze and see if we can get some shine back. This isn't...

Fan shroud plastic repair (1) Crack in fan shroud viewed from top. Crack in fan shroud viewed from below. The plastic welding kit is from HBF. I've had this kit for years; I was wondering if I'd get to use it someday. I guess that day is today. We'll use some fine stainless-steel mesh as...

Radiator replacement (1) Time to get to work on replacing the radiator. Before doing so, you'll need to remove the transmission oil cooler and power steering cooler, if so equipped. This is a picture from a week or two ago. My radiator has already been out for a while now. The radiator has a...

Just a small project from yesterday. There's a lot of little details that need to be addressed. Seat backs, or floor sections (I've got a two-man truck), with new pins and cables. Now, I don't have to worry about my floor sections smacking me in the back if I come to a stop too quickly. I...

Still don't have a running M1123, but I now have tomatoes. They're actually freakin amazing.

Idler pulleys, water pump pulley, belt tensioner, and serpentine belt installation For this post, I'm going to do the serpentine belt and all of its components, including pulleys and hardware. First are the upper idler pulleys; there are two smaller ones. Installed and torqued to 37 ft/lbs...